Fires on Cape York Peninsula, Australia

Grasslands and tropical savannas dominate northern Australia. These landscapes dry dramatically after the rainy season and become extremely fire prone. The most devastating fires usually occur late in the dry season, which runs from May until October. In this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from October 10, 2002, numerous large fires on the Cape York Peninsula are marked with red dots. Dark burn scars show the extent of the fires.
Credit: Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC